Title

Author

Date of Award

1987

Degree Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Community Planning (MCP)

Department

Community Planning and Area Development

First Advisor

Howard H. Foster, Jr.

Abstract

This work focuses on the applicability of survey research and design in the community development planning process. Compared to other similar social science fields, planning has not fully utilized surveys in a way that will keep pace with the expansion of information-based technologies. Community development planning, a major functional area in the field of planning, serves as the test for establishing the validity of this methodology. The town of Stoneham, Massachusetts (population 22,000), where the author is the community development coordinator, is used in the design, preparation, and administration of the survey. This survey was administered during the Spring of 1987 to individuals of every significant group concerned with downtown issues at that time. Based on the results of this effort, the community development survey is a valuable tool in examining every stage of the planning process, from an analysis of existing conditions to the evaluation of implemented objectives. This work investigates the design and development of the survey in terms that will be beneficial to planners. Beyond this, the role of the survey and its applicability to both process and functional area is also carefully considered.

Recommended Citation

Mercuri, Louis A., "The Application of Survey Research in the Community Development Planning Process" (1987). Open Access Master's Theses. Paper 669.https://digitalcommons.uri.edu/theses/669